As the summer months fast approach and we say goodbye to another academic year, it’s the perfect time to unwind with a good book. Whether you’re soaking up the sunshine, travelling home, or heading off on holiday, why not take a great read (or listen) with you? With Libby, you can enjoy a wide range of books, audiobooks and magazines wherever you are.

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“Relax and unwind with a book – Read or Listen” 

Let’s explore this fantastic resource and discover what this online library has to offer.

Fiction reads

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon iron gates reads…Opens at Nightfall. Closes at Dawn

As dusk shifts to twilight, tiny lights begin to flicker all over the tents as though the whole circus is covered in fireflies.  When the tents are aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign lights up: Le Cirque des Reves translates to The Circus of Dreams.  The gates shudder and unlock, seemingly by their own violation.   They swing outward, inviting the crowd inside. Now the circus is open, now you can enter. Discover this amazing fantasy with a different kind of magic.

“Discover this amazing fantasy read with a different kind of magic”

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Discover the delightfully heart warming and life- affirming best seller about one man’s unlikely journey through love. A thirty-nice-year-old geneticist, Don’s never had a second date. So, he devises the Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Enter Rosie, ‘The world’s most incompatible woman’ throwing Don’s safe, ordered life into chaos.

“I couldn’t put this book down. It’s one of the most quirky and endearing romances I’ve ever read. I laughed the whole way through” – Sophie Kinsella

“Brilliant, important, good-hearted” – Guardian

Damascus Station by David McCloskey

A CIA officer and his recruit arrive in Damascus to hunt for a killer CIA case officer Sam Joseph is despatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Hadid. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad’s recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy.

But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad’s spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard.

“Simply marvellous storytelling…a stand-out thriller and essential reading for fans of the genre” – Praise for Damascus Station

“For the most accurate fictional account of what life is like working in today’s intelligence services, forget John Le Carre and read David McCloskey’s thrilling Damascus Station” – Sir John Sawers, ex-Head of MI6

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Bryce still haunts the city’s most notorious nightclubs – but seeking only oblivion now. Then the murderer attacks again. And when an infamous fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, is assigned to watch her every footstep, Bryce knows she can’t forget any longer.

As Bryce and Hunt fight to unravel the mystery and their own dark pasts, the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents and down to the deepest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir…

This book is perfect for fans of Jessica Jones and True Blood; this is a blockbuster modern fantasy set in a divided world where one woman must uncover the truth to seek her revenge.

“Think of Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L James” – Telegraph

“Spiced with a slick plotting and atmospheric world – building…a page turning delight” – Guardian

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya…the exceptional, The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are just that, banished from the Kingdom and shunned from society. No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as an Elite.

When she unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition to showcase her ‘Elite’ powers. If the trials don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will if he discovers what Paedyn really is…completely Ordinary.

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this sizzling fantasy romance not to be missed!

“A masterpiece” – Goodreads Reader Review

“A sizzling slice of fantasy romance” – Booksellers Review

Non-fiction reads

How to eat 30 plants a week by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

30 plants may sound like a lot, but in Hugh’s expert hands it has never been simpler to achieve your health goals and approach everyday cooking with delicious, nutritious, meals full of easy wins to increase your plant intake, whatever your dietary requirements.

Pioneering gut – health guru Tim Spector’s introduction explains why racking up the plant power by eating a variety of 30 plants a week will give your body more of the nutrients you need to feel great, have renewed energy and reset microbiome.

Pack with people pleasing plant-only dishes alongside a few well-chosen meat and fish options, helpful tips, tricks and easy swaps, with Hugh to show you the way, you’ll soon be getting your 30 plants, and more, week after week.

“Full of great ideas” – Rosie Boycott

“Delicious, super – simple recipes” – Henry Dimbleby

Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens by David Mitchell

A funny book about a serious subject, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here – and who is to blame.

Think you know your Kings and Queens? Think again.

No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller

Taking us right back to King Arthur (Spoiler alert: he didn’t exist), Unruly tells the founding story of post- roman England up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies). It’s a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle management insurrection and uncivil wars.

“I can’t recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting, it is above all a proper work of history” – Charlie Higson

“Chatty, irreverent and liberally sprinkled with gags and opinions. Horrible Histories with added swearing” – Guardian

The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg

We still have time to change the world. From the world’s leading the climate activist, this is the essentials book for making it happen.

“Spectacular…this work is planetary in scale” – Independent

This book is created by Greta Thunberg in partnership with over 100 climate experts working around the globe, with her commentaries through and updates for this new paperback edition to reflect the latest research.

“A Times, Financial Times, Observer and Nature Book of the Year”

An audiobook edition of this title is also available

The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business & Life by Steven Bartlett

At the very heart of all success and failure I’ve been exposed to – both my own entrepreneurial journey and through the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted on my podcast are set of principles that can stand the test of time, apply to any industry, and be used by anyone who is search of building something great or becoming someone great, there are fundamental laws that will ensure excellence – Steven Bartlett

These laws are rooted in psychology and behavioural science, are based on the wisdom of tens of thousands of people I’ve surveyed across every continent and age group, and of course, drawn from the conversations I’ve had on my chart-topping podcast with the world’s most successful people. These laws will work now or in 100 years from now.

“Weaving the latest research, his own experiences, and captivating stories, Steven guides readers to redefine success and achieve their potential. This is a must-read for anyone dreaming of doing something audacious” – Jay Shetty

An audiobook edition of this title is also available

Listen to audiobooks with Libby

Did you know you can listen to great titles on your phone? You can find a variety of fiction and non -fiction titles all in one place. With Libby’s wide range of audiobooks, you can enjoy them anytime, perfect for listening on the go!

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Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

The global number one bestseller over one million copies sold!

A breathtaking intimate look at love and desire in its many different forms, an exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family, aside form the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common, Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties- successful, competent and apparently unassailable but in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women – his enduring first love Sylivia, and Naomi, a college student for who, life is one long joke.

Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, now in the early weeks of his bereavement, I van meets Margaret and older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined, For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude, a period of desire, despair and possibility – a change to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.

“An intimate and emotional read. I put the book down feeling that I am a richer person for have read it” – Megan

“A beautifully written book with characters that capture the heart if the reader” – Sinead

Also available as an e-book

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Enter the brutal and elite work dog a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general – also know as er tough as talons mother – has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when You’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter – like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge of her wits can give her just to see the net sunrise.

“Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros’ Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy”. – Booklist , starred review

“Fourth Wing will have your heart pounding from beginning to end… A fantasy like you’ve never read before”  – Jennifer L. Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author

I haven’t been entirely honest with you by Miranda Hart

Packed with hard won wisdoms and gentle truths, this is Miranda’s honest exploration of the lessons she has learned on her journey from illness to recovery.

Hello to you, I am the news. I have a new book: I haven’t been entirely honest with you. I know – what an intriguing title! Basically, I have an unexpectedly difficult decade – there have been surprising joys, but also deep revelations and challenging lows. I shall be honest with those, because what I discovered in the difficult times were my, what I call, treasures.

Treasure: practical tools, values, ways, answers researched from some great scientists, neuroscientists, therapist, sociologist (all the ists) out there, that have generally led to a sense of freedom, joy, peace and physical recovery I never would have thought possible.

“A raw and poignant account. Miranda is more of an everywoman than ever before” – The Times

“Miranda’s account of slowly letting her guard down and being vulnerable is sweet and moving, and proof that happiness is possible even in the most trying time” – Guardian

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang

When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity…and takes it. So, what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So, what if it means borrowing her identity? And so, what if the first lie is only the beginning…Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her…what happens next is entirely everyone else’s fault.

The Number One Global Sensation Foyle’s Fiction Book of the Year

Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year

Audie Award Nominee

Yellowface was a Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller and Number 5 New York Times Bestseller 2023  

E-book also available

Bridgerton: an offer from a gentleman by Julia Quinn

The third novel in the beloved Regency-set world of Julia Quinn’s charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a series created by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix. Welcome to Benedict’s story…

Sophie Beckett never dreamt she would sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball – or that ‘Prince Charming’ would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie had been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But that night, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she felt like royalty. Yet she knows all enchantments must end.

“Julia Quinn’s Bridgeton books take all of the classic tropes we know and love…and gives them a thoroughly modern twist, I can’t focus on anything else” – Stylist

“Quinn is a master of historical romance” – Entertainment Weekly

Read magazines with Libby

With Libby you can access a wide collection of magazines and comics – ideal short reads to spark inspiration.

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Kitchen Garden Magazine – UK’s No.1 for growing your own fruit and vegetables. Kitchen Garden also offers great monthly give-aways, special gardening offers, recipes, growing tips and much more.

This is a magazine you can catch up with on a monthly basis, which means you can also look back on the past editions.

The Simple Things is a beautiful, useful, quirky and fun magazine about taking time to live well. The magazine is all about mindfulness and micro adventures, eating and growing, forgotten wisdom, homelife and slow moments. It’s for people who love their lives but want to take the pressure off and remember what’s really important. We like tea & cake, learning stuff, being outside and the satisfaction of a job well done.

This magazine offers is available as monthly subscription, so again, if you enjoy this June edition you can check out the back issues on offer only on Libby.

Vegan Food and Living is the fastest growing UK magazine celebrating the delicious approach to ethical eating. Every issue features at least 75 recipes, plus ingredient focuses, expert guides on nutrition important ethical issues, the latest news and exclusive competitions, plus how to take your culinary skills to the next level.

Comics and Graphic Novels

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A diverse collection of Comic and graphic novels, ranging from classics such as Saga, through to familiar titles including Spiderman, to reads exploring contemporary debates like Pixels of You.

Stranger things by Jody Houser and illustrated by Stefano Martino

Follow Will’s struggle through season one.  Written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Stefano Martino.

You can enjoy the hit Netflix series again as a comic book. The comic book recounts Will Byers’ harrowing survival in the treacherous Upside Down! When Will finds himself in the Upside Down, an impossible Parody of his own world, he’s understandably frightened. But that’s nothing compared to the fear that takes hold when he realises what’s in that world with him. 

The walking dead volume 1 by Ricky Kirkman and illustrated by Robert Kirkman

Rick Grimes is not prepared for this. A couple months ago he was a small-town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family he must now sort through the death and confusion to try and five his wife and son, collect issues #1-6

Enola Holmes Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Serena Blasco

A graphic novel adaption of the hit books that inspired the Netflix film! Sherlock Holmes’ brilliant, strong willed younger sister takes centre stage in this delightfully drawn graphic novel based on Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series.

14-year-old Enola Holmes wakes on her birthday to discover that her mother has disappeared from the family’s country manor, leaving only a collection of flowers and a coded message book. With her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft determined to shop her off to a boarding school, Enola escapes, displaying a cleverness that even impresses the elder Holmes. But nothing prepares her for what lies ahead…

At 30, I realized I had no gender by Shou Arai

At age 30, Shou Arai (he/him) came to a realisation; he had no gender. Now he was faced with a question he’d never really considered: how to age in a society where everything g is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day-to-day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a light-hearted, comedic attitude.

“Arai’s English-language debut at 30, I realised I had no gender isn’t his first autobiographical manga, but it is something of a rarity in terms of what we tend to get in translation: it’s about aging as a queer person and being comfortable with the changes that come along with it. At 30, I realised I had no gender is the open, frank, and honest discussion that sticks with you. If you’re looking for a book that doesn’t hold back and just speaks its mind about it’s creator’s experiences as a human being, definitely pick this up”  – Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network

How to access Libby

Libby can be reached by accessing LibrarySearch. you can browse the collection by accessing LibrarySearch, then selecting ‘Find A-Z Databases’ on the left-hand side of the screen and Selecting L for Libby

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Did you know you can download the Libby App?

You can download Libby on:

• iOS 10+ (get it from the Apple App Store)
• Android 7.1+ (get it on Google Play)
• Newer Fire tablets (get it from the Amazon Appstore)

If you have a Windows computer, Mac computer, or a Chromebook, you can use Libby in your web browser at libbyapp.com. We suggest using the latest version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge

Once you’re logged into Libby you can scroll through the vast collection of E-books, audiobooks and magazines.

Libby homepage

Main image, (Book E-Reader) downloaded via Pixabay created by PetraSolajova licensed by Pixabay to use